In Part I, we showed how
the PRIZM NE geodemographic segmentation system was consistent with the
individual-level survey data. In that article, we were dealing with
standard social and lifestage groups based upon income, age, urbanicity and
presence of children at the zipcode level. In this part, our intention to
look at some of the smaller groups in the list of 66 segments of the PRIZM NE
system.

We look at the segment known as "Young
Digerati." Here is the description:

Young Digerati are the nation's tech-savvy singles and
couples living in fashionable neighborhoods on the urban fringes.
Affluent, highly educated and ethnicially mixed, Young Digerati communities
are typically filled with trendy apartments and condos, fitness clubs and
clothing boutiques, casual restaurants and all types of bars --- from juice to
coffee to microbrew.

In the following chart, we compare the Young Digerati against
the general American adult population on a number of attributes.

83% of the Young Digerati are internet users, compared to
65% of all adults. Indeed, they are the digerati.

Demographically, they are younger, better educated, have
managerial and professional jobs and earn significantly more.
Racially, there is a disproportionately larger number of Asian Americans
among them.

Socially, they are more likely to use health clubs and
gyms, go to bars and night clubs and attend concerts and theaters.

These incidences were obtained from the 2004 MARS study, which
is a mail survey of 21,054 adults conducted during the first quarter of
2004. These incidences, which are obtained independently of the PRIZM NE
segmentation system, are consistent with the description of the Young
Digerati.

Young Digerati(source: MARS 2004)

As another example, we will look at the segment known as
"Hometown Reitred". The description is as follows:

With three-quarters of all residents over 65 years old,
Hometown Retired is one of the oldest segments. These racially mixed
seniors tend to live in aging homes - half were build before 1958 - and
typically get by on social security and modest pensions. Because most
never made it beyond high school and spent their working lives at blue-collar
jobs, their retirements are extremely modest.

In the next chart, we show the demographic incidences of the
"Hometown Retired" group versus the total adult population.
Indeed, they are more likely to be older, retired, less educated and with lesser
income.

Hometown Retired(source: MARS 2004)

And if you wonder what the "Hometown Retired" do
with their time, this is shown in the following chart. They watch a lot
more television than the general population, and they like to watch audience
participation shows, games shows and soap operas.

Hometown Retired(source: MARS 2004)

We have given a couple of simple examples that show that
results from an independent individual-level survey were consistent with the
PRIZM NE geodemographic segmentation system. Throughout all this, we remember that
geodemographics is a second-best solution to actual individual-level data.
For example, not everybody in the "Hometown Retired" segment are
retired. The PRIZM NE can identify those zipcodes with lower than
average incidences but these are still mixed neighborhoods in which some people
work. Still, accurate individual-level data is rarely ever
available and the geodemographic segmentation systems will certainly improve
effectiveness and efficiency over pure random guessing.